The Big West Honors Scholar-Athletes of the Year for 2021

The Big West announced today the 22 individuals were named 2021 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Two student-athletes from each institution – one male and one female – were honored by their institutions and the conference for their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. 

The stories and accomplishments of these outstanding scholar-athletes will be featured on ESPN+ beginning on Monday, April 4, 2022.  The Big West Academic Honors returns for a second year on ESPN+ to herald these exceptional scholar-athletes and their contributions to academics, athletics and service.

The show premieres at Noon PT/9 a.m. HT. All programs aired on ESPN networks are available on the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription through an authenticated provider.

Host Drew Jones who is joined by Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly to highlight the achievements of the 22 Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year.

Facts on The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year:

  • The 22 honorees hail from four different states and five foreign countries on three continents.
  • Athletically, the group includes Big West MVP’s, All-Americans, a national Player of the Year, Olympic hopefuls and top professional draft picks.
  • Fourteen of the 18 Big West sports are represented.
  • The group has a collective GPA is 3.65.

 

The Big West Scholar-Athletes of the Year represent nearly 2,100 Big West student-athletes made the Commissioner's Honor Roll, which requires a 3.0 GPA or better. Nearly half of those on the Honor Roll had a 3.5 GPA or better. 

Meet the honorees:

Fernando Fonseca

Sport: Men’s Tennis

Hometown: Mogi Mirim, Brazil

Major/GPA: Business Administration – Finance/3.88

Fernando Fonseca's 14 singles wins in 2021 led the Cal Poly men’s team and he ended the season on a six-match winning streak. Fonseca made the Dean’s List in every quarter of his collegiate career and is active in Athletes for a Safer Campus.

Nikki Trucco

Sport: Women’s Soccer

Hometown: San Ramon, Calif.

Major/GPA: Child Development/3.97

Nikki Trucco's 10 goals, including 3 game-winners helped the Mustangs win a share of the Big West regular season title for the first time since 2013. For her efforts on the pitch, she was named First Team All-West Region and All-Big West.  Off the field, she was a member of the Big West Fall All-Academic Team and is working to become a teacher.

Justin Edler-Davis

Sport: Men’s Basketball

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Major/GPA: Communications/ 3.42

Justin Edler-Davis just completed his 3rd season as the Captain of the Roadrunners men’s basketball team. An Honorable Mention All-Big West performer in the 2020-21 season, he’s the school’s all-time leader in career games played and is in the career Top 10 in both points and rebounds. Edler-Davis graduated in communications and is now working on a second bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. He wants to be an ESPN analyst after his playing days.

Miranda Miller

Sport: Women’s Track & Field

Hometown: Manteca, Calif.

Major/GPA: Kinesiology/3.93

Miranda Miller finished 3rd in the pole vault at The Big West Track & Field Championships in 2021.  Since her freshman season, she’s been Cal State Bakersfield’s indoor and outdoor record holder in that event.  As a kinesiology major, she’s made the Dean’s List every semester and was named Academic All-Big West and one of CSUB’s Newcomers of the Year. Her career goal is to become a Physical Education teacher and track and field coach.

Sam Ayala

Sport: Men’s Cross Country & Track & Field

Hometown: Norwalk, Calif.

Major/GPA: MBA - Marketing/3.23

Sam Ayala won the 2021 Big West Men’s Cross Country Championship and set a Big West record with a time of 23:34.5. He was also named 2021 Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Year. On the track, he’s also the school record holder in the 1500 meters and earned All-Big West honors by placing 2nd in that event as last year’s Big West Track & Field Championships. He interned with a startup company that connects private coaches and athletes through an app and wants to work in sports marketing once he finally hangs up his spikes.

Callie Petrey-Juarez

Sport: Women’s Soccer

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Major/GPA: Communications/3.79

Callie Petrey-Juarez led the Titans with a team-high 20 points and 8 goals in 2021 on her way to earning a spot on the All-Big West Second Team. Academically, she’s made the Dean’s List 5 times, The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll 4 times and was named to the Big West All-Academic team twice. Cal State Fullerton head coach Demian Brown says of Petrey-Juarez, "Her performances on the field are matched by her excellence in the classroom.”

Giovanni Aguilar

Sport: Men’s Soccer

Hometown: Olivehurst, Calif.

Major/GPA: Psychology/3.5

Giovanni Aguilar is a three-time All-Big West performer who led his team in goals, assists and points this season. Aguilar earned a Psychology degree from CSUN in and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in School Psychology. He was selected in the secnd round of the MLS SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Ekaterina Repina

Sport: Women’s Tennis

Hometown: Voronezh, Russia

Major/GPA: Marketing/3.6

A transfer from Iowa State where she earned Big XII academic honors, Ekaterina Repina earned First Team All-Big West honors as the Matadors’ #1 singles player a year ago and Honorable Mention as a member of CSUN’s #1 doubles tandem. She plans to pursue tennis after graduation with an eye on a career in sales and marketing.

Radoslav Parapunov

Sport: Men’s Volleyball

Hometown: Sofia, Bulgaria

Major/GPA: Marketing/3.13

Although English is his second language, Rado Parapunov holds both Bachelor’s & Master’s Degrees from Hawaii in marketing. Parapunov was named AVCA Player of the Year and NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament MVP in 2021 while leading the Rainbow Warriors to a National Championship in men’s volleyball. He earned Big West Men’s Volleyball Player of the Year for a second time and was actively involved in his community through numerous appearances and speaking engagements during his career. He is currently playing professional volleyball in Serbia.

Brooke Van Sickle

Sport: Beach & Women’s Volleyball

Hometown: Battle Ground, Wash.

Major/GPA: Economics/3.6

A two-sport athlete, Brooke Van Sickle earned Big West Women's Volleyball Player of the Year as well as Honorable Mention All-America honors. In beach volleyball, she earned All-Big West First Team accolades and was one of 13 players selected to the US Collegiate Beach Volleyball National Team. Academically, she excelled as a Big West and UH Scholar-Athlete and made the Dean’s List. She holds a 3.5 GPA as a graduate student in marketing and expects to graduate in May of 2022.

Jason Smith

Sport: Men’s Track & Field

Hometown: San Bruno, Calif.

Major/GPA: Sports Management/4.0

Jason Smith is a five-time NCAA All-American and is one of only two Americans in 2021 to qualify for the US Olympic Trials in both the long jump and high jump. He earned Big West Freshman of the Year honors and was named Big West Field Athlete of the Year twice. He earned Athlete of the Meet at last year’s Big West Championships by winning the long jump, high jump and as a member of the Beach’s 4x100 meter relay team. He placed ninth nationally in the long jump and a 10th in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. Smith is the school record holder in the long jump. As a student, he earned Academic All-America honors as a 4.0 student in kinesiology/sports psychology and is currently an intern for the Los Angeles Rams and Clippers. He hopes to represent the United States at the Olympics in 2024.

Lena Kotanchyan

Sport: Women’s Water Polo

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

Major/GPA: Economics & Public Administration/4.0

This is Lena Kotanchyan’s second award as Long Beach State’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She’s earned honorable mention All-America honors three-times and was First Team All-Big West in 2021.  She’s twice led her team in goals and with a perfect 4.0 GPA she’s also claimed Academic All-American honors from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches. She’s currently a Graduate Assistant in Long Beach State’s economics department and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in higher education policy and a career as an economics professor.

Matt Okonkwo

Sport: Men’s Track & Field

Hometown: Winchester, Calif.

Major/GPA: Psychology/3.3

Matt Okonkwo was named Big West Co-Men’s Track Athlete of the Year in 2021. He won the 200 and 400-meter titles at the Big West Track & Field Championships to earn Athlete of the Meet honors.  He holds the UC Davis school record in the 400 and is fourth all-time in the 200. After graduation, he plans to pursue an MBA and ultimately have a career in social justice and non-profit work.

Josephine Ough

Sport: Women’s Volleyball

Hometown: El Cerrito, Calif.

Major/GPA: Community & Regional Development/3.6

Josie Ough led The Big West in blocks on her way to her second All-Big West Conference First Team honor. With a 3.6 gpa in Community & Regional Development, she was also on the Big West All-Academic team for the second time in 2021. She plans to work in the non-profit sector after graduation.

Josh Farmer

Sport: Men’s Track & Field

Hometown: San Diego, Calif.

Major/GPA: Education Sciences/3.53

An All-Big West performer and second-team All-American in 2021, Josh Farmer has the 2nd highest decathlon score in UC Irvine history. He led his team to a second-place finish in the 4x400 relay at the Big West Championships and earned All-Big West honors along the way. In the classroom, he maintains a 3.5 GPA in education sciences. Farmer made the UCI Dean’s List five times and has earned All-Academic honors from The Big West and USA Track & Field. 

Madison Chavez

Sport: Women’s Soccer

Hometown: Hercules, Calif.

Major/GPA: Criminal Law & Society/3.74

Maddy Chavez is the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year as well as a member of the All-Big West First Team. She was named MVP of The Big West Women’s Soccer Championship for leading her team to two shutout victories and the Anteaters’ first conference title since 1997. Off the pitch she’s been named to the Dean’s List 7 straight times in addition to earning Academic All-Big West and Scholar All-American honors from the United Soccer Coaches. Chavez earned numerous scholarships including the Maxine E. Nevin Leider scholarship and Houts Family Scholarship in social justice leaders category as a criminology, law, & society major.

Ely Stuart

Sport: Baseball

Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.

Major/GPA: Sociology/3.89

Ely Stuart hit .293 and had a .966 fielding percentage to earn himself Honorable Mention All-Big West honors in his first season with the Highlanders.

Amarachi Osuji

Sport: Women’s Volleyball

Hometown: Coppell, Texas

Major/GPA: Psychology/3.91

Amarachi Osuji led her team in kills and service aces and was the team leader in points per set in both the 2019 and 2021 seasons. Her .32 aces per set average was 5th best in The Big West in 2021. 

Gabe Avillion

Sport: Men’s Volleyball

Hometown: State College, Pa.

Major/GPA: Biochemistry/3.59

Gabe Avillion joins Long Beach State’s Lena Kotanchyan as a two-time Big West Scholar-Athlete of the Year honoree. He was a member of the Triton’s volleyball team that upset eventual National Champion Hawaii in last year’s Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship presented by the Hawaiian Islands. He is also the President of the Triton Athletes’ Council. He is currently a graduate student and and is interested in pursuing a career in the biomedical field upon graduation.

Sherriah Harrington

Sport: Softball

Hometown: Chula Vista, Calif.

Major/GPA: Human Biology/3.53

While serving as team captain, Sherriah Harrington led her team in total bases, RBI and doubles last season and earned All-Big West Honorable Mention accolades in the process. She was named UCSD’s Most Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete and was an NCAA Woman of the Year Award nominee. After graduation, she plans to become a doctor. 

Michael McGreevy

Sport: Baseball

Hometown: San Clemente, Calif.

Major/GPA: Sociology/3.33

Michael McGreevy was second in the nation a year ago in strikeout-to-walk ratio while leading the Gauchos to the post-season. He was a two-time All-Big West performer, two-time All-American and a semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year. He was selected in the first round of the MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. McGreevy earned his degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara in just over 3 years.

Shakhnoza Khatamova

Sport: Women’s Tennis

Hometown: Fergana, Uzbekistan

Major/GPA: Communication/3.75

Shakhnoza Khatamova led her team to a Big West title in 2021, on the way to earning All-Big West honors in singles and doubles and grabbing the Big West Player of the Year. She also earned Academic All-Conference honors and a spot on the Dean’s Honors List.

Related Stories

Related Videos

Now Playing: